More women bosses in UAE? Nation leads in gender equality

The UAE has seen one of the highest increases in gender parity, with a significant rise in women being hired for top positions last year, according to the latest figures.

World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 revealed that the UAE’s ranking rose from 74th to 69th globally and Emirates also maintained its top position in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

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Interestingly, LinkedIn data revealed that women’s hiring in leadership roles in the UAE also saw a year-on-year growth.

The Global Gender Gap Report said that full parity in parliamentary representation has been achieved by the UAE, Mexico, Nicaragua and Rwanda, whereas Oman remains the only economy without any women in its national parliament this year.

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The UAE is the regional leader in the Political Empowerment sub-index with a political parity score of 37.2 per cent, ranking 32nd globally.

“Economies like UAE, Bangladesh, Iceland, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico have improved their scores the most over the 19 editions, while North Macedonia, Iran, Sweden, Kazakhstan, and Lesotho display the lowest total gains over time,” said the global report.

The UAE has also been placed in the fastest-moving group along with Bangladesh, Chile, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.

With a score of 0.724, the UAE is followed by Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Iran and Sudan.

According to LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data published in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report, the UAE is defying the global trend. While the share of women hired into leadership roles worldwide has declined over the past year, reversing progress made between 2015 and 2021, the UAE is bucking the trend and moving in a more positive direction. 

Unlike most other countries globally, the UAE continues to increase the share of women being hired in leadership roles, with a 4.5 per cent year-on-year increase. This positive trend also extends to broader workforce participation, with a 2 per cent annual growth in overall female hiring, according to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn’s Economic Graph data showed that women in the UAE are up to 28 per cent more likely than men to have a multidomain professional experience equipping them with a diverse skill-set, thereby positioning them strongly for the evolving demands of the AI era. Globally, women are also more likely to possess the human skills that technology cannot replicate, such as communication, collaboration, and creativity - attributes that are becoming increasingly critical as AI transforms how we work.

LinkedIn’s survey data from early 2025 shows that female professionals in the UAE are slightly more likely than men to focus on learning new skills and report greater confidence in using AI, demonstrating both readiness and resilience in a rapidly changing employment landscape.

Waheed Abbas

Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that dir...Read More

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com